6.1  Employability Plan Overview

An Employability Plan (EP) is a written agreement developed jointly by the FEPFinancial and Employment Planner and the applicant or participant. However, the RSResource Specialist may write the initial EP during the W-2Wisconsin Works application period if the applicant is assigned up-front job search.  

The EP is a single written document outlining how an applicant or participant will achieve a specific employment goal or, if appropriate, a goal to obtain SSISupplemental Security Income and/or SSDISocial Security Disability Insurance benefits. The EP details what the individual will do through their participation in the program to achieve that goal and how the W-2 agency will assist.     

The EP must be developed using the information gathered through the assessment process. (See 5.1.1 and 5.1.2) The worker uses information from the assessment process to build the plan around the applicant’s or participant’s:

·        Strengths, interests and aptitudes, and needs;

·        Prior education and work history;

·        Strategies to overcome barriers to employment identified through informal and formal assessment;

·        Assignment of work and training activities to achieve the employment goal; and

·        Length of time remaining in the W-2 program. (See 6.1.1)

Each time an EP is developed or changed, it must be filled out in WWPWisconsin Work Programs, the applicant or participant must be given the opportunity to sign the EP, and provided a copy of the completed EP. If the applicant or participant refuses to sign the EP, the agreement is still considered binding because the individual committed themselves to W-2 participation when signing the W-2 Participation Agreement.

The EP must be developed with all applicants assigned to Up-Front Job Search (see 2.9.2) and with all participants who are assigned to any of the following:

·        A TEMPTrial Employment Match Program, TSPStipends for Noncustodial Parents, CSJCommunity Service Job, or W-2 TW-2 Transition placement;

·        A CMUCase Management Underemployed, CMFCase Management Follow-up, CMF+Case Management Follow-Up Plus, CMDCase Management Denied, CMJCase Management Job Ready, or CMNCase Management Noncustodial Parent placement;

·        A CMCCustodial Parent of an Infant, CMPCase Management Pregnant Women, ARPAt Risk Pregnancy, or CMMCase Management Minor Parent placement only in circumstances where the participant has volunteered to participate in activities as part of the W-2 program; and

·        A second parent in a two-parent household who participates in W-2 activities. (See Chapter 14)   

Learnfare Case Management plans, which are similar to EPs, are developed for children age 6 to 17 whose parent is placed in a W-2 employment position and who are required or volunteer to participate in case management for Learnfare. (Children not enrolled in school, minor parents, dropouts, returning dropouts, habitual truants, and a child whose W-2 group includes a participant who has been unable to participate in required assigned activities due to the child’s school-related problems are required to participate in case management.) (See 16.3.4)

History: Release 22-05; Release 21-07; Release 17-02; Release 16-01; Release 11-03.